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It’s been quite the summer of sun in Britain this year, and in Europe for that matter — It reached 47 degrees in Spain and Portugal. Crazy!

For a gent with a beard of a reasonable size, stepping out into the sun means making yourself open to interrogation.

“How do you cope with a beard in this heat?”

“Blimey! It must be hot under there.”

“It’s about time you bought a razor!”

Yeah okay, Nan — leave it out.

Common knowledge says that beards are only for the colder months. Once the summer rolls around it’s time for a fresh do and a clean shave so that your head is nice and cool in the warm weather.

We say forget common knowledge. Because, get this: beards don’t make you hotter.

Okay, they do make you hotter, but only in an attractive sense — you handsome beast, you.

As far as heat is concerned, though, shaving off your beard doesn’t cool down the temperature of your head. In fact, because beards keep sweat close to the surface of the skin, when that summer breeze passes through your glistening whiskers, it helps to cool you down.

And if those two things weren’t enough, all that extra vitamin D your beard gets from the sun helps to produce testosterone, which helps the beard grow quicker.

Everything points towards leaving your facial hair in place for the summer, despite the opinions of the naysayers.

But that’s not to say there aren’t some issues you’ll have to deal with. Beard problems arise whatever the weather. In the blistering summer sun, it's beard sweat and dry hair that can be problematic.

Dealing with the beard sweats

Beard sweat is unavoidable. But, as said, it’s not a bad thing — sweat combined with a bit of a breeze cools you down. What you need to be wary of is the sweat leading to blocked pores, which causes skin irritation and itchiness that can make a beard to become patchy.

To avoid this you should invest in a good beard wash and use it every few days to cleanse the hair and unclog pores. While it might be tempting to wash your beard daily, especially after being out in the sun all day, doing so can strip away the serum that your beard needs to thrive. On the days between washes, use beard oil to keep the skin moisturised and the hair smelling fresh. There are no such usage issues around oil — feel free to apply it as often as you like.

Tackling beard dryness

A beard can become like dry grass in the summer and feel brittle to the touch. Don’t worry, it won’t combust — but you will need to do something about it.

Beards are prone to collecting dust and debris and leftover lunch. Add this to the sun which dries out the hair and you’ll be dealing with a fair bit of skin irritation.

Once again, a combination of a good beard wash (2-3 times a week) and beard oil (daily) will help give your mane some much need hydration.

You should also add beard balm to your grooming regimen. Balm works to condition the beard and leave it looking thicker. You can use it up to three times a day to keep your mane in peak shape. Invest in some Mo Bro’s balm and you’ll get the added benefit of beeswax, which helps create a shield against dirt and grime.

Finally, you’re going to need to brush or comb your mane daily too to get rid of any bits of debris and unwanted bits of food that have set up camp. A good bristle brush will do the trick for shorter beards. For long beards, a comb is best as it will help untangle hair.

Use the correct grooming products daily and your beard shouldn’t give you any trouble during the summer. And the next time some asks about how you’re coping in the heat, tell them “a beard is for life, not just for winter.”